Nanooptics and photonics 

Reflection from nonlinear resonant multilayer structure
Ilchenko S.G., Lymarenko R.A., Taranenko V.B.
International Center “Institute of Applied Optics” of the NAS of Ukraine
10G Kudryavska street, Kyiv, 04053, Ukraine. 
E-mail: Svitlana-ilchenko@ukr.net

We study static and dynamic characteristics of light reflected from a specially designed resonant multilayer structure with nanoscaled nonlinear layer. We investigate different types of nonlinear reflection from resonant nonlinear structure including bi-stable switching between low and high reflection states. We propose to use this nonlinear structure as optically controlled intracavity laser selector. Specially designed resonant multilayer metal-dielectric structure (MDS) is characterized by a significant optical field enhancement in the terminal dielectric layer. When this layer has a Kerr-type nonlinearity, the field enhancement can lead to a large nonlinear resonance shift even at relatively small change of the incident light intensity. We derive the system of differential equations that describes the reflection coefficient and field enhancement factor which are depended on the intensity of the incident light. Solution for both stationary and dynamic cases are obtained and discussed.
We found four types of nonlinear reflection depending on the angular detuning of the incident light: 1) the reflection coefficient grows with increasing the intensity of the incident light; 2) the reflection curve reaches a minimum at a certain value of the intensity; 3) the uncertainty of the reflection coefficient takes place at a certain critical intensity that can lead to dynamic nonlinear processes such as the self-oscillations or a stable soliton-like space-time inhomogeneity; 4) bi-stable type of the nonlinear reflection. Note that the reflection bistability of the nonlinear MDS is like that of the simple planar waveguide [1]. Due to the large value of the internal electromagnetic field enhancement such effects can be realized experimentally using promising nonlinear optical nanomaterial with high nonlinear refractive index [2], and it is possible to use the nonlinear MDS as optically controlled fast intracavity laser modulator.

1.	Bazhenov V.Yu et al. Spatial hysteresis and switching waves in a nonlinear planar waveguide. Quantum Electronics. 1986;16 (11) 1534-6.
2.	Lu, S., Zhao, C., Zou, Y., Chen, S., Chen, Y., Li, Y., Tang, D.. Third order nonlinear optical property of Bi2Se3 // Optics Express, 2013, 21(2), 2072.